


Caught my attention

by Bxtty_jxnes



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Jughead is an asshole at first, Jughead will redeem himself, Light Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Northside Jughead Jones, OOC, Secret Relationship, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-07-03 22:09:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15827901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bxtty_jxnes/pseuds/Bxtty_jxnes
Summary: Riverdale high consisted of the typical stereotypes; the jocks, emo's, nerds, quiet kids, popular kids etc. Betty Cooper and her friends however didn't exactly fit into any slots.Jughead Jones was practically the leader of the school ,privileged rich boy, member of the lacrosse team and ultimate player. Personally Betty found his self-absorbent personality repulsive, but the majority of girls in Riverdale high drooled over him like dogs at a fresh piece of meat, honestly Betty could see them kissing his feet if he requested.





	1. Fun Sucker

 

Riverdale high consisted of the typical stereotypes; the jocks, emo's, nerds, quiet kids, popular kids etc. Betty Cooper and her friends however didn't exactly fit into any slots. They weren't neccessarily popular, but they also weren't unknown by many in the school. Each one of them (Betty, Cheryl, Kevin and Veronica) found the popular kids borderline annoying and egotistical, especially Betty, who rolled her eyes each time a guy in a letterman jacket or a girl in the river vixen uniform strutted past her in the hall and flaunted their social hierarchy statuses around with them. She could see it in their demanour that they were completely full of themselves and it put her off ever wanting to associate with their crowd, even if some considered it an honour.

 

The leader of that pack was Jughead Jones, privilleged rich boy, member of the lacrosse team and ultimate player. Personally Betty found his self-absorbent personality repulsive, but the majority of girls in Riverdale high drooled over him like dogs at a fresh piece of meat, honestly Betty could see them kissing his feet if he requested. This wasn't to say he wasn't good looking, infact Betty often got young Leo Dicaprio vibes from him, but everything else about him outweighed his single positive attribute.

Jughead was aware of Betty's negative opinion of him which urged him to send her smug grins and winks in the corridor and exaggerating his douchebag exterior whenever she was around to wind her up. When it boiled down to it, she only bugged him because she and her friends were the only people who didn't worship the ground he walked on, which almost made him respect them more for it. He would never admit that to anybody else however.

 

It was the first day of senior year and Betty had practically bounced out of bed. Her enthusiasm for returning to school usually died out after the first week, but before that she had the energy of a toddler. After showering and changing into a light pink sweater and skirt she skipped downstairs to the kitchen where her parents greeted her with wide smiles and fresh coffee and croissants.

 

"Morning!" Betty chirped as she grabbed a pastry and sunk her teeth for the first bite. Her father Hal, responded with a nod, but her mother Alice, just shot an unimpressed look when she looked her up and down.

 

"Don't you think that skirt is a bit short sweetheart?" Alice commented, lightly sipping on her coffee. Betty glanced down and smoothed her hands over the hot pink leather, unsure her mother's opinion is correct. Alice noticed this and planted her coffee firmly on the counter causing Betty's head to shoot back up. "We just don't want another case like Polly do we?"

 

"Alice-" Hal muttered, lowering his paper

 

"Mom, I don't think wearing a skirt is going to get me pregnant" Betty interupted avoiding another confrontation between her parents. Ever since Jason Blossom impregnated her sister and they ran off to San Francisco to start their family, her parents have been non stop bickering and it was driving Betty over the edge. Some evenings it got so intense, Betty found herself crying under her sheets, whispering to herself it will be ok and her parents will eventually work things out. Of course, the arguments are less frequent and harsh but they still hadn't ended completely so she tried with all her willpower to avoid anything that will trigger another.

 

"Well it will certainly attract male attention" Alice muttered while serving Hal a stern look. "And if one thing leads to another, you could be in your sisters shoes"

 

"Alice!" Hal's voice was raised now and Betty jumped slightly in shock.

 

"Dad please" she almost whispered while Alice pursed her lips unimpressed, before taking another sip of her beverage. Betty turned to her mother then and took a deep breath while straightening her posture. "Mother, I'm not Polly. I can barely stand the guys in my school, there's nothing to worry about." she reasoned and Alice's face didn't alter, wearing the same cold and disinterested face she always did. Betty sighed then, accepting that her mother will continue to be overbearing probably until the day she leaves for college. "Well, I should probably get going" she breathed while taking the last bite of her croissant and swinging her backpack over her shoulder.

 

"Have a good day Bud" Hal smiled and she saunted over and gave a small peck on her father's cheek. Betty then strolled over to Alice and performed the same action, it seemed to be wired in her brain now, how to act like everything is normal after awkward encounters. She slapped on a fake smile and headed for the door where Veronica and her chauffeur Smithers were waiting to give her a lift. Betty's fake smile shifted to a genuine one as she slid in beside her raven haired friend who was drowning in pearls.

 

"V! Hey! I didn't know you were coming." Betty smiled before pulling Veronica in for a small hug. "Hey Smithers"

 

"Good morning Miss Cooper" the driver replied while flashing a warm grin in the mirror.

 

"So Betty," Veronica started with a raised eyebrow "I've been planning a back to school party, and you must come!" Veronica insisted while she squeezed Betty's hand.

 

"Veronica," Betty let out a small giggle and tilted her head to the side "We haven't even started yet. And anywway haven't we had enough parties during summer?"

 

"Do you even know me at all?" Veronica exclaimed in mock horror. "I use every opportunity i can to host"

 

"You're crazy! I can hardly stand to be around the people during school hours nevermind my own free time" Betty sighed and Veronica shook her head.

 

"Unacceptable. This is senior year B! Live a little!". The car came to a stop then and Betty noticed they were outside the school enterance. She thanked Smithers and slid out of the car, while taking a deep breath. She absorbed Veronica's words and supposed this was a year she needed to remember. So when Veronica stepped beside her and linked their arms she turned and said

 

"You're right V. It sounds fun, I'm in"

 

"Yes!" The girl exhasperated "I knew I would convince you. Let's talk details at lunch with Kev and Cher" Veronica beamed as they stepped toward the doors.

 

Betty was hit with a strange sense of comfort when she stepped into the student lounge where her other friends waited for her. Perhaps it was the familiarity of it all, or knowing that she would no longer be contained by the walls of her home, alone with the raised voices of her parents bouncing throughout the room all day every day. During summer she was practically under house arrest especially after the Polly scandal, but now she had 6 hours a day, free of her mother's wrath.

 

"B and V, my favourite duo!" Kevin commented as he stood to envelope them both into a warm hug. Cheryl followed after him, placing a kiss on each cheek and leaving a red mark from her bold lipstick. They all took part in light chat, reliving their memories of summer and talking about their plans for the rest of the year. Cheryl and Kevin's seemed solely focused on boys and Veronica's on getting her 'Daddy's' attention by throwing parties and acting wild. Betty however was trying to focus on her studies and get into a college as far away from her parents as possible. The others all rolled their eyes at her boring plans and Cheryl called her a 'fun sucker'.

 

* * *

 

Jughead was greeted by the usuals when he returned to school. Archie and Reggie gave him one of their 'bro hugs' and Tina and Ginger both placed a lingering kiss on his cheek, then became reluctant on leaving his side. He had the two friends wrapped around his little finger and he must have caused hundereds of fights between the girls for his attention. He knew what he was doing was wrong but it came in handy when he was looking for a quick hook up. If one was busy, 99% of the time the other would be free. The girls desperately seeked for more from Jughead, longing for affection, a real relationship, to call him their boyfriend but Jughead had no intentions of fullfilling any of their dreams.

 

He spotted Betty Cooper in his biology lesson, she was prettier than he remembered, and struggled to peel his eyes away from her legs, they were tanned and long and- he had to stop himself there.

 

Lacrosse practice was the same as usual, Chuck Clayton  held the tryouts and based his decisions purely on the popularity of the person rather than their talent, which was probably why their team sucked. His game was slightly rusty at first, saying as he hadn't practiced at all during the summer, but after a few tries he had mastered it again completely. Archie and Reggie went head to head for the position of co-captain but eventually it was given to Moose Mason and the other two boys tried to hide the pain of their bruised egos.

 

In a flash lunch had rolled around and Jughead slid in beside his red headed friend, as he took the first mouthwatering bite into his cheeseburger. "What are you guys talking about?" he asked with a mouthful of food, which made Archie snigger and turn to his own meal.

 

"I overheard Veronica Lodge talking to some chick about throwing a party this weekend!" Reggie replied excitedly and eyed Jughead to see his response. It was not at all what he expected.

 

"You guys aren't actually considering going are you?" Jughead scoffed as he took another bite of the greasy burger.

 

"Hell yeah!" Archie chirped nudging Jughead in the ribs "That lodge girl is hot! And her family is loaded so her place will be great! It's going to be epic!" Reggie nodded eagerly in agreement as he sipped from the small straw stabbed into his orange juice and stared at Jughead once more.

 

"Who said you guys are even invited?" Jughead grinned as Josie (Reggie's girlfriend) interrupted and pushed the boy along to take a seat beside him.

 

"Yeah like we need one anyway" Reggie scoffed "We would just crash if we had to." This made both Josie and Jughead roll their eyes. "But i mean- we will be- invited- of course" Reggie stuttered when he caught sight of his girlfriends face.

 

Jughead laughed again, took the final bite of his sandwich before saying "fuck it" with a sigh. "Why the hell not, a party is a party"

 

"That's what i'm talking about Jones!" Archie triumphed punching Jughead in the shoulder with a large grin. Once again Jughead was laughing along with his friends, but then he caught sight of a beautiful blonde waiting in the lunch queue ahead and the rest of the world switched off. His friends began mindlessly chatting but Jughead paid no attention as he watched Betty Cooper giggling with her friend as she slowly slid her tray along. He thought her smile was adorable, and dragged his eyes along the sharp edge of her jaw. However as she turned, tray in hand, his eyes connected with hers. The green forest met with a blue storm and Jughead gulped. "Shit" he thought. He was like a deer caught in the headlights but as his mind screamed at him he couldn't bring his eyes to look away.

 

* * *

Betty Cooper was struck dumb as she turned to see Jughead Jones -aka the most popular guy in school- staring her out. When their eyes locked she froze and her throat became lodged. This didn't go unnoticed by Kevin, who turned back to see his friend in complete shock. After frowning he strided forward and waved his hand in front of her face which knocked her out of her trance. Was she dreaming? She thought. No definitley not.Kevin laughed at her total confusion.

 

"Come on what are you doing?" he giggled and she had to shake her head to clear her thoughts. Betty then shot him a smile and laughed too.

 

"Sorry, i have no idea what just happened" she lied. She definitley know what happened. She caught the Jughead Jones checking her out and she didn't mind it one bit. Despite him being a complete douche it still felt good to know at least someone found her in some way, probably slightly attractive. 'Or maybe I have something on my shirt!' Betty internally sighed and decided, Jughead probably wasn't checking her out, she was most likely looking like a fool and he was struck by how much of an idiot she was.

 

"So Veronica, as one of your best friends i would like to nominate myself as co-host to your party!" Cheryl stated as Betty and Kevin took a seat with their two friends. Betty's mind was still running as she thought about what had happened just moments ago. The people who knew her, knew she always read too much into things and for the life of her she could not shake why neither party could pull their eyes away from one another. Well actually she did know why she couldn't - he was hot and his eyes had taken her own as captive. Jughead on the other hand, why was he looking at Betty? They had a mutual disliking of one another and usually he would tease her by winking or smirking at her, but today it was as if he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

 

"Of course Cher, this thing has to be amazing, i have a reputation to uphold!" Veronica's reply once again snapped Betty out of her thoughts and she continued to laugh and chat with her friends. It took all of her willpower not to look over to Jughead's table.


	2. Party till we're purple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, some things you should know about me:  
> 1\. I literally have no clue how to write or make good stories, so I apologise for this mess but it's my first time  
> 2\. I wrote the 1st chapter like 3 months ago but I was too much of a pussy too post it until recently.  
> 3\. I'm about to start year 11,which is the final and most important year of school in the UK, so some future chapters may take a while to post  
> I hope you enjoy, but honestly I don't blame you if you don't haha :)

 

 

 

The first week of school was a whirlwind for Betty. Each night she had to stay back to try and finish the first publication of the year for the blue and gold, so that it could be released the following Monday. As well as this she was hammered with new projects and homework by almost all of her teachers, and on Wednesday, Veronica had practically dragged her to go outfit shopping for the party on Friday night.

 

By the time Friday evening had rolled around, Betty was physically and mentally drained. She was beginning to regret agreeing to attend the event as she sat cross legged next to Veronica on her bedroom floor, both applying their makeup in front of her mirror.

 

"Ok-" Veronica snapped, her hands coming to a halt as she turned to her blonde best friend beside her. "What's with all the sighing, lighten up it's party time!" she beamed giving Betty a small shake with her hands on her shoulders.

 

"Sorry V," Betty sighed giving her friend a small smile that never quite reached the eyes. "I'm just not in the party mood, I'm actually pretty tired after this week, I mean-"

 

"Stop right there!" Veronica interrupted and held out a flat palm in front of her face before Betty could begin to trail off onto a long list of things she had done throughout the week. "You are going to have a great time, dance off and drink away all of the stress and we are going to party 'till we're purple!" Betty laughed at Veronica's quote of the SpongeBob movie, she knew it was her favourite and this time her wide smile was actually genuine.

 

"I love being purple" Betty followed as she tucked her chin into her chest and looked up to Veronica with a mischievous grin.

 

"Oh god!" Cheryl trudged into the room, flaunting her iconic cherry red lipstick and thigh high boots. "You guys are not quoting that fucking movie again! How old are we?" Cheryl flung herself onto the bed and Betty and Veronica broke out into a fit of giggles.

 

"Excuse me," Kevin then waltzed out of the adjoining bathroom with an eyebrow cocked. "The SpongeBob movie is iconic and beyond reproach!" Cheryl rolled her eyes as Kevin perched himself beside her and shot her a sly grin.

"Oh don't we all look amazing!" he gasped as he glanced around the room to his three best friends. Kevin was a late joiner to their little friendship group as he only moved to Riverdale when he was 12. His family used to live in Brooklyn, New York and his father was on the police force while his mother worked away with the troops. Then one day his life was turned upside down when he learned that his mother had passed, leaving a male widow and distraught son back at home. After hearing the news his father found it too difficult to stay in the old family home and decided too pack up and move to the small town they call home today.

 

When he first moved he felt like an outcast, nobody wanted to sit next to him at lunch and he heard people whispering and sniggering things in the hallway about him being different to the other boys (as he grew older he realised it was probably because he was the only openly gay kid in the small town). Yet as he was starting to lose hope on his fresh start, a blonde, 12 year old angel named Betty Cooper swooped in and sat across from him at his table. 

 

 

 

_He was playing with the food on his plate when he looked up to see a beacon of light beaming from this girl's smile._

 

_"Hey!" the girl chirped extending a hand toward him. "I'm Betty, you're new here right?" He glanced at her extended hand and then around the cafeteria, hoping this wasn't some prank being pulled on him. Why was this girl being so nice. He looked back to the girl ,who's face hadn't faltered and felt a small tug of a grin on his lips._

 

_"_ _Um, yeh" he mumbled cautiously accepting the offered hand and shaking it lightly. What kind of 12 year old girl greets people with a hand shake he thought. "My- my name's Kevin" he stuttered still weary about the girl's ulterior motive._

 

_"So where did you move from?" she inquired. Her ponytail bounced as she shuffled back into her seat and placed her chin to rest on her linked hands._

 

_"Brooklyn in New York" Kevin kept his answers to a minimum, his usual bubbly personality was still hiding, recovering from the trauma of the last few months. Betty continued the light hearted chatter and soon enough he was becoming more comfortable with the girl and actually started enjoying the conversation. Then the following day she introduced the lonely boy to her two best friends and the three musketeers became 4._

 

 

  
"So Kev" Veronica smirked twisting her body around to face him. "Do you think you and Moose will hook up again?"

 

Kevin scoffed and then Betty and Cheryl turned to face him. "Moose will be with Midge tonight. After last time he won't even look me in the eye." As Betty gave him a sympathetic look and Cheryl reached to rub his back Veronica frowned and shook her head as she rose to her feet.

 

"Uhm no! Unacceptable! You are going to take that bull by the horns tonight, remind him that he prefers sausage to-"

 

"Ok! Veronica **-** " Betty jumped to her feet and slapped a hand over her friends mouth to which Cheryl sniggered at. "I think what she is trying to say is that Moose needs some time to figure himself out that's all".

She sent Kevin a small yet soft smile and slowly brought her hand away from Veronica's mouth.

 

"It's a good thing I haven't put on my lipstick yet" she muttered under her breath before turning back to the mirror and doing exactly what she just said.

 

Cheryl cleared her throat then, stood up and smoothed down her dress before eyeing Betty head to toe. Betty frowned, as her friends gaze slid down her body. Suddenly she got déjà vu from the cafeteria on Monday, which sent chills down her spine, and quirked her eyebrow to her fierce friend. "Can I help you with anything?" she asked in a sarcastic tone and Cheryl returned a raised eyebrow as a smile spread across her face.

 

"No," she paused for dramatic effect in typical Cheryl Blossom fashion " You just look different, you're not wearing pastel." Kevin laughed from behind which made Betty shoot him a menacing glare.

 

"Yeh, well new year new me" Betty replied her tone once again dripping with sarcasm. Maybe what she said was true. Betty was hardly, if ever sarcastic, maybe her friends have been rubbing off on her too much.

"I just thought this would look nice." Once again she was the old, shy Betty and looked down to her outfit. It was a black halter neck piece. The top stopped mid waist and the shoulders were cut off but the bottom of the arms were covered in black puffed material. The shorts met with the top at the back so you could see her midriff. It was highly out of Betty's comfort zone but when Veronica had forced her to try it on in the changing rooms she did admit it suited her more than she thought. Then she paired it with black strappy heels which she could barely walk in which made her 100x more self conscious and she thought that she would look like a complete fool at the party.

 

"It looks amazing B!" Veronica chirped from behind wrapping her arms around her neck and resting her chin on her shoulder. Kevin winked at her from behind and Cheryl grasped her arm.

 

"Of course you look beautiful, I was just surprised that's all" Cheryl assured her warmly. Her friends were the only people who saw Cheryl's warm heart behind the cold walls she put up for the rest of the world. That's what made them put up with her crap most of the time, because deep down, Cheryl Blossom loving you was so rare, and it was completely worth it.

 

The moment between the four friends was broken when the doorbell rang signalling the first guests. Veronica shrieked with joy. "And so it begins!" she beamed as she clapped her hands rapidly and headed for the door.

 

* * *

  
A few hours later and the party was in full swing. Betty was 3 rounds into beer pong when she spotted one Archie Andrews currently sucking the face off of her raven haired friend Veronica. After doing a double take her mouth gaped open and she stole a look from Kevin across the room, also in complete shock.

 

"Ok I know I'm good looking and all, but that's being a bit dramatic now isn't it Cooper?" Jughead Jones had stepped into her line of sight and her mouth snapped shut. He smirked at her when she sighed and rolled her eyes at his completely egotistical demeanour.

 

"Fuck off Jughead" Betty drawled. She'd had one too many beers to put up with his bullshit.

 

"Ouch!" he grabbed his chest in mock horror to which she once again rolled her eyes. "I was just coming to ask if you would like to dance? You look like you're in need of some company."

 

Betty laughed "I am not-" she looked back to see that Cheryl and the others she was previously with had retreated to the kitchen to grab more drinks. "I _was_ with people" she sighed and he wore a smug grin.

 

"You sure?" he asked sarcastically "I don't-" he turned his body around her to look for others nearby "see anybody around".

 

"You're an asshole" she muttered as she ducked past him to make her way over to Kevin who looked like he was stuck in a very awkward conversation with Moose and Midge.

 

* * *

  
Jughead smiled as he watched Betty venture off into the crowd of people in the party. He just couldn't help but wind her up, it was too easy. He thought it was kind of adorable when she got mad. He also noticed that tonight was the first time he had ever seen her hair fully down. Sure for school dances she let some of her hair free but she also never failed to find some part of her hair to tie up with her bobble. It looked pretty he thought.

 

As he was deep in thought about the certain fiery blonde, small hands came from behind and crept along his waist pulling him out of it. As he turned he was met with the intoxicated Ginger Lopez. He could tell she was a goner by her glazed eyes and the hungry smirk on her face.

 

"Hey handsome" she slurred her hands coming to find purchase on his chest. Jughead cringed at her desperateness, but then again his ego was always boosted when the girls came crawling back for more. It was sick, messed up and he knew it but Jughead Jones did not do feelings and love, he could never be tied down to one woman, that just sounded insane. Why stick with one type of food when there is a whole buffet out there. Oh yeh, one other thing, Jughead loved food.

"Sooooo" she drawled out smoothing her hands over his defined chest, "My parents are out tonight, maybe you could swing by, keep me company"

 

"Actually" he cringed again, his features scrunching up as he grabbed her wrists and moved them away. This didn't go unnoticed by the girl, who's smile slowly slid off of her face and quickly turned into a frown. "I'm kinda already busy"

Jughead chanced a look over to Tina who was shooting daggers their way. Ginger followed his line of sight and put the pieces together. Jughead saw her lip begin to quiver and despite how often this exact scenario played out, he still always felt slightly guilty. "Look, I'm sorry-"

 

A sharp slap to the cheek cut him off and Jughead brought his hand up to his face to ease the sting.

 

"Don't bother!" Ginger snapped, storming away as sobs threatened to break through. This also wasn't new to Jughead, if he had a dollar for every time he had been slapped by a girl he would probably be a millionaire right now. Despite this though, he knew by Monday morning the girl would be back to worshipping the ground he walked on and lingering by his side until he decides to show them any attention. Another dick move, he knows but it's the only way to keep them interested.

 

* * *

 

Observing the scene was none other than Betty Cooper who burst into laughter among Kevin, Moose and Midge who saw the downfall of Ginger Lopez and Jughead Jones.

 

"Typical Jones" Moose had commented as Midge cuddled further into his side. Betty noticed how Kevin's shoulders seemed to sag and so linked his arm with her own and pulled him in for a tight hug.

 

After the showdown Jughead caught her eyes with his own again and sent her a sneaky wink before stalking over to Tina and pulling her to his side. Betty had never felt more repulsed by a boy before. How could such a pig have so many girls trailing after him. After watching Jughead completely crush a girls heart and then act like nothing happened moments after, warming up to her best friend, caused a burst of frustration to rush through her veins. Maybe it was the alcohol but this guy was seriously getting on her nerves and she didn't like it one bit.

 

"I need some air" Betty sighed, pushing off of Kevin and heading for the balcony. Jughead watched the blonde, swaying slightly as she made her way to the sliding doors. He excused himself from the conversation and followed behind, strolling to the doors she had just shut behind her. He didn't know why but tonight he couldn't keep away from this girl. As he slid open the glass panel the blonde swirled around and groaned when she caught sight of his iconic smirk.

 

"How can I help you Mr Jones"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also apologise for the SpongeBob quotes. I'm not going to lie that is my favourite movie of all time and I probably quote it on a daily basis haha 
> 
>  
> 
> I know, I know Jughead is a complete dick! But don't worry my friends, I will let Betty Cooper speak her mind and maybe FP Jones can give his boy a good talking too ;)


	3. How about we get some shots?

 

 

"How can I help you, Mr Jones?" Betty smirks. Why not turn the tables? She thinks, this boy should be taught a lesson or two.

 

"Oh, well I'm just making sure you don't trip and fall off the balcony after I just watched you practically stumble to the door." he quipped back which made Betty roll her eyes. She couldn't help but do it when she talks to him.

 

"Yeh, well I'm good" Betty snapped which caused Jughead to jump back a bit. Betty's quick instincts almost had her apologising until she remembered how mad she was at him. Jughead noticed and wondered what had gotten her so riled up. Sure he knew his pestering was sort of annoying but not enough for someone to get full blown infuriated with him. Betty sighed then and willed herself to calm down a little.

 

"Ok," Jughead drawled, quirking an eyebrow at her. "I know I'm annoying but why are you so mad?" Betty looked at him and gaped at his utter arrogance, surely he was joking. Surely he was aware of how much of an asshole he is? Then she laughed, almost forcefully and Jughead once again jumped. After a few moments she stopped and looked back up into his piercing blue eyes.

 

"Wait, you're serious?" Betty breathed, once she dipped her foot into the deep blue sea of his eyes, she couldn't help but drown. Finally, when Jughead replied with a quiet 'yeh' she snapped out of the spell his gaze seemed to cast upon her and took a couple steps back for safe measure, until her back met with the cold metal bar of the balcony railing, where she placed her hands, and she released the breath she was holding. She waited a moment for her heartbeat to slow and shook her head to allow all of the reasons why she was mad to come back, but when they did she still didn't feel as angry as before. Maybe the fresh air was helping to clear her head.

 

"Well first of all, you're a complete and utter ass" she stated as she straightened her shoulders and held up her chin. "I mean everything you say just makes me want to punch you in the face." Jughead laughed lightly at that and Betty felt a small smile tug on her lips but she pushed it away to continue. "And you treat any girl that means anything to you like complete shit, I mean did you see Ginger's face back there, you broke her heart and I can guarantee that is not the first time you have saw that exact look on her, and probably 100 other girls faces."

 

Betty saw his face drop a little, maybe she had hurt him but she was not done with him yet. "You walk around like you're untouchable and the people at your side are just accessories to the massive ego you've built for yourself. You are probably one of the most selfish people I've ever known, and yet I barely know you!" She had to stop for a breath before she continued "And do you know what annoys me the most about you, Jughead Jones?" Oh no Cheryl has definitely been rubbing off on her, she is pausing for dramatic effect and yet she doesn't have a moment to care because for the first time in her life she feels more confident and powerful than Jughead Jones and she's thriving on it. And ok, maybe it's the alcohol too.

 

"Every time I look into your goddamn eyes, for a moment I forget every fuckin' reason I hate you." As she whispered the last few words she had taken a few steps toward him and was now merely inches away from his face.

 

Neither spoke a word as they searched in one another any kind of reaction. Jughead had never been rendered speechless, he always had a quick comment rolling off his tongue but right now he could not think of a damn thing to say. The air grew thick with tension, almost to the point where it felt hard to breathe and his gaze flicked down to her lips, for probably less than a second, before it dragged back up to her eyes. Betty swallowed loudly and the screams in her head telling her to say something at least or walk away was drowned out by the quiet whisper telling her to just take one more step forward…

 

"Jughead?!" a loud and probably the most annoying voice in the world came from behind, causing both Betty and Jughead to jump back. Tina was waiting at the door, eyebrows almost reaching her hairline. Betty watched as Jughead sighed and swivelled around to the girl.

 

"Yeh, I'm coming" he replied before turning back to the blonde beauty. A small smirk crept along his face and Betty couldn't help but mirror it. Jughead began walking backwards but not leaving his gaze from her own. As he went to step inside where Tina was waiting impatiently, he once again turned back to the blonde and his smile had faltered, turned almost sinister.

"I'm actually pretty sure it's more than 100 by the way. Maybe like 150 girls" And with that he was gone lost in the sea of bodies as the brunette tugged him away.

 

* * *

  
"Veronica" Betty sighed with relief. Her friend was definitely drunk now and her dark purple lipstick seemed to be smothered all over the red headed boy she was leaning against.

 

"B!" she screeched, throwing herself into the arms of her best friend. Betty laughed and pulled her up to look at her with eyes that say 'I know what you've been doing'.  
"Where have you been?" Veronica asked desperately trying to avoid the topic of why her lipstick is currently all over Archie's face.

 

Betty opened her mouth to answer but then decided there was no point in telling her drunk friend who would forget the conversation by the morning. "Uh nowhere" she said instead. Veronica seemed fine with her answer. Betty then suddenly felt too sober, she needed to take her mind off the events of the balcony. "You know what, how about we get some shots?" Betty giggled and Veronica flashed a beaming smile.

 

"Yes!" she shouted "I am SO proud of you B!" Veronica said as she dragged her friend to the kitchen.

* * *

Pursuit of Happiness by Kid Cudi and Steve Aoki was blasting through the speakers while Betty and Veronica were trapped under the arm of one drunk Archie Andrews bouncing up and down to the beat.

 

"I'm screaming out, fuck that"  
"I'm screaming out fuck that"  
"fuck that"  
"fuck that"

 

The whole group were singing along, drinks sloshing everywhere, and the room filled to the brim with underage intoxicated teenagers. Betty had never felt so light and free.  
Everything was sort of blurry, and she couldn't really understand anything when people would shout over the music into her ear. But overall she was happy, even if she couldn't think straight and her head was spinning. Maybe she should let loose at these parties more often.

 

* * *

She woke up to the sun blaring through the window and then she was suddenly aware of the pain in her head which felt like somebody was repeatedly hitting it with a sledgehammer. She crumpled her face up but couldn't bring herself to open her eyes. 10 more minutes she thought. Then she reached out to grab the spare pillow on the other side of the bed and pull it over her face before her hand slapped against skin.

 

Betty jumped up and watched Jughead Jones stir awake as he rubbed his face to find the source of pain.

 

"Oh my god" Betty whispered to herself. "Oh my god! Oh my god!" she was getting louder with each one and Jughead eventually sat up and rubbed his eyes of sleep. Betty's eyes darted around the room, which certainly was not her own and it was not Veronica's spare room either, where she had planned to stay.

Then she spotted her clothes on the floor and glanced at the over sized white t-shirt, currently covering her body. Betty suddenly felt very self conscious with the very short length of the shirt which grazed the very top of her thighs. As she grabbed a pillow and held it in front of her torso Jughead laughed and watched as she looked around like a maniac.

 

"What the fuck!" Betty cried as her eyes found Jughead ,who was currently shirtless, and he was simply laughing at her.

 

"Good morning to you too" he replied smugly. Then he just got up and walked out like everything was fine. Betty stood in his room, wearing his shirt, clutching her pillow so tightly her knuckles turned white and her mind racing with a million questions.

 

After a minute he returned with a glass of water and handed it to her. Betty accepted the glass and gulped it down rapidly before slamming the glass back down on the drawers.

 

"We didn't-" Betty couldn't even bring herself to say the words. _I swear to god, if I lost my virginity to Jughead Jones._

 

"No! No I wouldn't, you know- you had no idea what you were doing" Jughead stammered. _Thank god_

 

"Well then can you please explain what the fuck happened last night and why I'm here, and in your shirt?!" Jughead laughed and Betty clutched the pillow even tighter.

 

"Where do I start Cooper?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for how short this chapter is but I wanted to end it at a good part ;)


	4. It's sort of a long story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's been a while! I have just started year 11 and it's intense! So we are finally going to find out what happened at that party, and I hope you enjoy ;)

  

"Where do I start Cooper" he laughed as he took a seat on the side of the bed. "After our little talk on the balcony, I saw you go off with your friend Veronica. Not long after, the next thing I know is that you're absolutely smashed and grinding with her and Archie on the dancefloor"

 

Betty swallowed and looked down at her feet. Perhaps all of those tequila shots weren't the best idea. "Yeh, well I think I finished a whole bottle of tequila myself" she chuckled a little but couldn't help the blush that crept up on her cheeks. "Go on, that still doesn't explain why I'm here"

 

"Well, I was on my way to the bathroom and you bumped into me and spilled your drink all over yourself. So naturally, like the true gentleman I am," Betty rolled her eyes at this and he smirked "I took you to the bathroom and helped wash your outfit at the sink. **Then** things got interesting" _Shit no, no, spit it out Jones_  
"You started crying, I had no idea why, then you were apologising to me, saying that you were and I quote 'a complete and total bitch'"

 

Betty scoffed, sure she was slightly harsh last night, but Jughead deserved it. "Yeh well, I was stupid because you deserved what I told you last night". Being as stubborn as ever, Betty crossed her arms defensively, tucking the pillow under and raising her eyebrows. Jughead however just rolled his eyes and continued.

 

"By that time, I thought you had enough to drink and it was time for you to go to bed, so I found Veronica who told me to take you to the guest bedroom." _Yes, that's where my clothes are and where I had promised my mom I would be staying_ she thought.

 

"Once I had dragged your drunk ass to the bedroom, we walked in and well" he paused thinking how he could word this best "let's just say it was already occupied." Betty's eyes bulged out of her head, _oh god why can't the people in our school just keep their tongues in their mouths and their privates in their pants._

 

"When you saw, well, what we saw, you decided to throw up" Jughead's smug grin was slapped back onto his face. "All over your outfit, which was still pretty sticky from your beer" She dropped the pillow and sunk onto the bed beside Jughead, where she pressed her face into her palms.  
"After all these fucking disasters, I panicked and since Veronica only lives down the road..."

 

"You decided to bring me here" Betty finished, pulling her head up. "And you gave me your shirt to wear because mine is covered in beer and puke"

 

"Exactly" _Jesus Cooper, could you make anymore of an embarrassment of yourself?_ Once again Betty sighed. Despite everything she thought about Jughead, he still took care of her last night, and he didn't take advantage of her dastardly state, which she could say, many boys from Riverdale high probably would have done.

 

"Wait-" she drawled, looking back to his beautiful blue eyes "I thought you were spending the night with Tina, what happened?"

 

"I blew her off" he replied "She kept telling me to just ditch you, but I felt bad, I mean I couldn't exactly leave you the way you were" he laughed and Betty's heart warmed. She felt a small smile tug on her lips and her eyes sparkled.

 

"Well thankyou," she sighed, slowly standing and smoothing down the shirt. She glanced around for the rest of her items and turned back to him " For looking after me last night" Jughead shook his head and offered another smile at her.  
"I should probably get going, let Veronica know that I'm alive and all" she giggled, grabbing her clothes and heels.

 

Jughead immediately shot up and reached to snatch the outfit from her hand. "I wouldn't put that back on if I were you" he cringed and Betty pushed the outfit away from her body, scrunching her face up when she caught a whiff of the material. "Sorry" he said in a breathy laugh. "I forgot to put it in the wash last night"

 

Betty looked around and looked back at him, her expression riddled with confusion "Well what the fuck am I supposed to walk to the Pembrooke in?"

 

* * *

 

Betty felt ridiculous. As each car drove by she hid her face and held her breath, without even knowing. _Is this what it feels like walking home from a one night stand?_   She was currently in the same white t-shirt which she wore to bed, paired with navy sports shorts with the gold Riverdale high logo on the bottom corner, heels in hand and 5 sizes too big, Nike running shoes. _Maybe it just looks like I'm walking home from a nice morning run?_ Who was she kidding. Her hair was a tangled mess, she was sure there was some sick in it and her makeup made her look like Heath Ledger's Joker from the Batman movies. Jughead was still technically over the limit, so she declined his offer for a lift, and anyways the Pembrooke was a pretty short walk.

 

If her mother saw her now, she would probably have a heart attack.

 

As Betty caught her reflection in the elevator she gasped and ran a hand over her face. _Dear god, kill me now._

 

Betty hesitated as her hand reached out to knock. She just knows Veronica is about to hit her with a million questions and her already pounding head will not be able to take it. As she took a deep breath and her hand fisted, knuckled ready to tap the wooden door, it swung open and Betty stumbled back. On the other side, was a rather cheerful looking Archie Andrews, in the same clothing as last night, and very dishevelled orange locks, sticking in all directions.

 

"Oh" Betty's eyes darted to Veronica who was now peeking behind him, also looking like she was positively glowing.

 

"Hey, Betty right?" the red-headed boy chirped, reaching a hand out with a wide smile still plastered on his face.

 

"Uh yeh" she mumbled accepting the offered hand. He shook it firmly and stepped to the side to allow Veronica to stand at the doorway. The girl eyed Betty up and down, along with Archie who seemed to recognise the garments currently hanging off her body.

 

"Well I've gotta go, I'll see you guys on Monday" Archie beamed.

 

"Yeh, I'll call you later" Veronica grinned, leaning up on her tippy toes for a kiss. Archie placed a light peck on her lips and sent another smile to Betty as he jogged down the hallway, tugging on his iconic letterman jacket.

 

Betty looked back to her friend and arched her eyebrow, insisting her friend to spill. "Call you later?" she gasped as Veronica grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her inside.

 

"Oh no you don't!" Veronica ordered, pulling Betty onto a stool, and strutting to the coffee pot to pour her friend a cup. She glided the cup along to her friend who accepted it gratefully. "Yes, Archie and I hooked up, blah blah blah boring, I want to know why you were not in my guest room last night and why you are wearing those clothes. Who do they belong to exactly?"

 

_Wow V, nice to see you too, it's OK I'm alive and well, it's no big deal that I just watched Archie Andrews walk out of this apartment in his clothes from last night!_

 

"Uh, well it's sort of a long story" Betty drawled, keeping her eyes settled on the black liquid in her cup.

 

Veronica tutted "Well it's a good job I have nothing planned for today" she replied and Betty sighed, there was no point trying to deny Veronica the truth. Just then Cheryl strolled out from the guestroom and Betty's jaw went slack. _Oh god, Cheryl is the one they walked in on last night! Well at least she can't remember..._

 

"What the fuck happened to you?" the fiery red head questioned, taking a seat on the stool behind her. Betty sighed and finished the last of her coffee.

 

"Well she was just about to tell me, right B?" Veronica grinned smugly.

 

Betty took a deep breath. It was very likely that they were going to blow this whole thing out of proportion like that time when she went on a _date_ with Trev Brown, strictly to gather intel on her latest story for the newspaper. But the two girls immediately demanded she went dress shopping, and booked her a hair and nail appointment and insisting they come around to help her get dressed and practice her best lines before hand. Then again, maybe she did have a small crush on the boy, and she did rather enjoy the date, but she refused to admit that, she barely did to herself. But this time was completely different, not at all the same case. She definitely did not like Jughead and she did not want her friends pushing something she didn't want and could never happen. So with all the courage she could muster up she finally mumbled out an explanation.

 

"I stayed at Jughead Jones' house" she barely whispered, crushing her face into her palms as her elbows rested on the bench.

 

"I'm sorry what?" Veronica questioned, she didn't know if she heard right.

 

"I stayed at Jughead Jones' house" she said again, no louder or clearer. Cheryl sighed aggressively, clearly too hungover to put up with her shit and grabbed Betty's wrists, pulling her hands away from her face. Betty shot her a death stare before looking back up to Veronica.

 

"I stayed over at Jughead's house!" she exclaimed, eyes darting around the room, she couldn't look at them right now.

 

Cheryl gasped as Veronica choked on the mouthful of water in her mouth.

 

"Jughead Jones?! Oh my god!" Cheryl laughed as Veronica pounded on her chest with her fist. "Did you guys hook up?" she smirked, bouncing her eyebrows suggestively.

 

"What? No!" Betty gasped "Of course not! Look I got too drunk, puked on myself, tried to go to bed but it was occupied, now i know by you," she pointed a finger at Cheryl "so he took me to his place. It's not a big deal really." she insisted, catching her breath.

 

"Well the way you're freaking out about this makes it sound like one" Veronica stated finally able to speak.

 

"No, no" Betty muttered "Seriously nothing happened, I promise, he was just making sure I was ok, after he saw the state I was in"

 

"Well the Jughead I know, would never look after a girl unless he liked her" Veronica claimed while Cheryl nodded her head in agreement. "You totally have a shot!"

 

Betty scoffed and grabbed Veronica's water taking a gulp. "No" she waved her hand to dismiss it "Just because he made sure I didn't choke on my own sick in my sleep and didn't take advantage of me, like most human beings would do, does not mean he likes me"

 

"Uhm hate to break it to you Betty," Cheryl chirped "But Jughead didn't need to take you back to his place, he could have easily dumped you on one of us"

 

"Ok, whatever you guys were too busy shoving your tongues down peoples throats and spreading your legs" Betty mumbled as she stood. "I'm gonna shower and get dressed before I head home, my mom would disown me if I return like this" she laughed.

 

* * *

"Elizabeth how was the sleepover?" Alice asked as she strolled into Betty's room. "I see you girls had a late night" she laughed as Betty sat up and wiped away the sleep from her eyes.

 

"What time is it?" she mumbled while Alice perched on the side of her bed.

 

"Almost 2 o'clock, you've been napping for a while" her mother smiled.

"Here I brought you some lunch up". Betty accepted the warm bowl of soup, but noticed her mother was acting strange. It wasn't that her mother wasn't caring, but she also wasn't the type to smother their children with affection. Usually she would expect Betty to sit at the dinner table, and lecture her that taking naps during the day not only ruined your sleeping schedule but was a waste of time, when she could spend it being productive.

 

"Thanks" Betty breathed as she took a slurp of the liquid. She also expected Alice to mutter something about manners and being careful to keep her bed spread clean but instead she stayed silent, smiling at her daughter lovingly beside her.

"Uh mom, is there anything else you need?" Betty questioned hesitantly. Alice seemed shocked at this and frowned but in a teasing way, the smile still stretched on her face.

 

"Do I need a reason to sit with my daughter?" she asked.

 

"No, but you're acting weird, can you tell me what's going on?" Alice sighed and took the bowl out of Betty's hands, placing it on the bedside table. Then she took her daughters hands in her own and stroked the tops with her thumbs.

 

"Betty, these past few months, your father and I haven't exactly agreed on everything, you know with Polly and all." Betty nodded, she knew where this was going, but it still made her heart tighten in her chest.

"So we've decided to spend some time apart, he's going to be staying in the motel just outside of town for a while" Alice admitted, tears threatening to spill. Alice was a strong woman, Betty rarely seen her like this, vulnerable and hurting, as she usually wears her cold and tough façade. She tried to remember the last time she even saw her mother shed a tear, even when hurting she made sure that her mascara kept in tact, she could never appear weak to those around her. Seeing her mother like this, triggered Betty off too, as she pulled her mother into a tight embrace and blinked away the tears, however one still managed to escape and trailed down her cheek.

 

"Are you guys getting a divorce?" Betty asked quietly as she pulled away.

 

"No, no sweetheart. Not just yet, we just need time to reflect on our relationship, you know figure out what we want" she brushed away Betty's tear with her thumb and slowly stood, to walk out. Betty sunk back into her bed and took deep breaths.

  
_Hey, this is for the best. At least there will be no more fighting. People go through this all the time, it's no big deal._

 

Betty took deep breaths and flung herself out of bed. She threw on her leggings and grey hoodie and slipped into her running shoes, glancing over at Jugheads which were stashed in a bag in the corner of her room. She decided she should hide them, before her mother found them and freaked out about her having some boy's clothes. As she tucked the bag safely under her bed, she grabbed her phone and earphones and set our for her run, to clear her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we got to see a tiny bit of Jughead's soft side and Alice Cooper's too! Despite what we just saw, Alice will not be a completely open minded and loveable mother in this as she will not let Betty make the same mistakes as Polly!
> 
> I am trying to make this a slow burn but I really hate it so let's see how long it takes for me to cave in. 
> 
> Future updates will not be regular but I will try to post as soon as possible :)


	5. Cut the bullshit Cooper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty and Jughead have a chat in Pop's :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is pretty Angsty, but I'm pretty sure it will please your Bughead hearts!

 

As Harry Styles voice poured out of the small speakers of her earphones, her heart pounded in her chest, and her mind had trailed off into sub conscience thought. Betty had been running for almost an hour, her breathing ragged as she stopped in front of the neon lights of Pop's chock lit shop. Her eyes were dragged to one of the booth's windows, where a family sat giggling, sipping their milkshakes and stealing fries out of the basket in the middle of the table. There were two young girls one no older than 10 the other probably around 7 and their parents seemed to be laughing at something the eldest daughter had said. The parents seemed hopelessly in love as Betty watched the mother place a small kiss on her husbands cheek while the two girls managed to get the whipped cream from their beverages smeared all across their faces. They were the definition of the perfect white picket fence family. And despite all Betty had endured these past few months, Polly getting pregnant and running to San Francisco  with Jason and her parents non-stop arguing and recent separation, she couldn't help but feel happy for the family before her, at least they have a chance of happiness she thought.

 

Betty didn't realise she had been staring until she heard the roar of a loud engine approach, followed by the slam of a car door. She was pulled out of her thoughts and rapidly wiped away the tears currently brimming her eyes. Then once again her heart rate picked up to 1 million beats per second as she saw the one and only Jughead Jones approaching her with a look of concern etched on his face.

 

"Betty-" he stopped in front of her and saw her glazed over eyes, reaching out to rest his hand on her shoulder "What are you-" then he looked around the car park clueless to what he was even looking for before returning his gaze back to her shimmering green eyes. "What's going on? Are you ok?"

 

Betty's throat lodged as she looked up into the beautiful sea of his eyes. Her mind went blank and she had to step back to grasp what had just happened once again. She tucked her head down and squeezed her eyes shut, willing to keep her emotions at bay for just a second, she could not let somebody see her so vulnerable.

"Yeh" she finally gasped pulling down the sleeves on her jumper so they covered her hands and wiping her face once more. "I-I'm fine Jug, I just came for a milkshake" she explained wearing her fakest Cooper smile and heading for the door. She was just a few steps away, thinking she had just managed to dodge that bullet when she felt him grasp her arm and pull her back.

 

"Cut the bullshit Cooper, why are you crying in Pop's carpark?" Jughead asked with a laugh but Betty could tell he was actually concerned.

 

"I'm- it's a long story ok?" she replied, her eyes pleading for him to just let this go.

 

"Well, I have plenty of time and a hankering for a milkshake" Jughead laughed, tugging her into the diner and the first empty booth in sight.

 

As he slid into the seat opposite her, Betty looked around, hoping to god that nobody knew she was here with Jughead. This would make it on the front page of Kevin's gossip column and she can just hear the shrill of her mother's voice if she ever thought Betty was on a date. They sat in silence for a few moments as they both scanned the menus, even though they knew it word by word.

Betty's mind was racing, trying to think of a good enough excuse to tell Jughead, when he inevitably asks her why she has been crying. Jughead's eyes continued to flick between Betty and the menu, nibbling on his bottom lip trying to think of how to broach the topic, and after an awkward few minutes of silence he sighed and dropped the menu onto the table. This caused her to look up and he couldn't help when his heart sunk a little looking at shimmer in her red rimmed eyes. Just a few months ago he would have actively set out to annoy this fiery blonde, but now all he wanted to was wrap her up in his arms and protect her from this cruel world for the rest of his life. Just as his mouth opened a waitress sauntered over and stopped at their table.

 

"Good evening, I'm Geraldine, and I'll be serving you today" she said in a sickening sweet tone. "Are you ready to order?" Although the question was directed to both teenagers in the booth, Geraldine's eyes never left Jughead's and a small smirk crept up on her face. Jughead felt slightly repulsed, this woman looked to be no younger than her late 20's and he was wearing his letterman jacket so it was clear he was still in high school. So was she seriously flirting with him. Betty noticed too and rolled her eyes, of course the waitress was attracted to Jughead, by now she was sure almost every woman in this small town was! They ordered their milkshakes (vanilla for Betty and chocolate for Jughead) and he also decided on a double cheeseburger with extra cheese, pickles and sauce along with a large side of fries and onion rings. When Geraldine finally went back to the counter, with an extra sway of her hips hoping Jughead would notice, Betty give Jughead a quizzical look.

 

"Are you feeding the entire town, oorrr......" she smirked and Jughead chuckled too.

 

"I'm a growing boy Betts, and I literally haven't ate in like 3 hours, if this doesn't come soon I may just starve to death" Betty laughed again and Jughead smiled, glad he was able to cheer her up and stop the sniffling. Once her giggles subsided he caught her gaze and swallowed. He sighed once more, he didn't want to make her uncomfortable but he had to make sure she was ok, _she was just crying in a parking lot alone a few minutes ago_ , he thought.

 

"Look, you don't have to tell me anything, but i have to ask, is everything ok? You seemed pretty upset out there" Betty looked down, she could either lie, like always, and pretend everything is fine or maybe, just maybe she could tell the truth, open up to someone. Betty's lip began to tremble again and no matter what she couldn't stop the tear that rolled down her cheek or the sobbing that followed after.

She felt like every emotion she had tried to hold in the past couple of months had been unleashed, and she felt even worse that it was in the middle of the most popular hangout in town with a boy she barely knew. Jughead immediately jumped up and ran to her side of the booth, wrapping his am around her and holding her head to his chest. He squeezed her tightly and his stomach churned, suddenly feeling extremely guilty for pushing her.

_Why couldn't you just leave it Jones? She was laughing and the you go and fuck it all up and make her cry!_

 

Geraldine came back milkshakes in hand and looked at the two of them with a pitiful smile. Jughead said a quiet thanks and waited for Betty's sobs to settle slightly before lifting her head to his level, cupping her cheeks in his hands. Delicately, he wiped away a few tears still running down her cheeks with his thumbs but Betty refused to open her eyes, she felt like if she did she may begin to cry again. After a few moments, she inhaled a deep breath and pulled away, Jughead reluctant to let her go. She dragged her palms across her face trying to dry it off but it was till red and blotchy. "I'm sorry" she croaked, finally looking back up to Jughead.

 

"Don't- don't ever apologise for that" he replied. "I'm the one who should be sorry, I didn't mean to pry or hurt you and you really don't have to explain yourself okay?" he looked at her earnestly and Betty's heart felt like it was going to burst. Then she looked around the diner, a few eyes still glued to her and she ducked her head again embarrassed. Jughead noticed and looked around to the other patrons shooting them death glares to warn their curious eyes away. Betty looked back up to him and flung her arms around him once more, burying her face in his neck and tried to pour her gratefulness into the hug.

 

* * *

 

After a trip to the bathroom and a pep talk in the mirror, Betty returned, Jughead back on his own side of the booth already finished his milkshake and down to the last few fries. Betty managed a small smile and giggled when he tried to wipe the ketchup off his face, but instead smearing it up his cheek too. As they finished the food, and Betty sipped the last of her now warm milkshake she decided that maybe telling Jughead could help. Maybe she could let out all of this pent up emotion and not having to worry about being judged or being treated differently afterwards. Of course her friends knew about Polly and she would tell them about her parents, but she does not tell them how it affects her because she doesn't want them to see her as weak. She didn't want them treating her like a fragile object if they learned how she really felt about everything. At least with Jughead she could tell him, and never have to talk to him again and it wouldn't matter what he thought of her.

 

So she told him about Polly, and how much she misses her and then about her parents, the non stop arguing that almost drove her insane all summer and then the recent news of their separation and how even though it's for the best, she can't help but feel like shit because deep down everyone wants their parents to live happily ever after and have the perfect family.

 

"Betts" he breathed reaching for her hand and smoothing his thumb over the back of hers. "I'm so sorry that fucking sucks" Betty squeezed his hand back before pulling away and fiddling with her straw.

 

"I know that I'm probably overreacting" she said with a self deprecating laugh, eyes focused on the contents at the bottom of the glass. "But sometimes I just get so overwhelmed and I don't know who to tell or what to do-"

 

Jughead saw she was on the verge of rambling and cut her off "Hey," he said catching her attention as she snapped her mouth shut. "If you _ever_ feel overwhelmed or you're even just having a shitty day, you can talk to me, I promise I won't tell anyone and I won't judge you either" Betty felt all warm inside and once again she was captured by the beauty of his eyes. She sent him a small smile in return and nodded.

 

"Okay"

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it has been a while! The updates for this will be slow but I always try write and get them up when possible; I hope you enjoy :)

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic and is unbeta'd so I apologise for any mistakes. There are probably hundreds of fics like this one, and a lot better, but I always enjoy a high school romance plot between these two. I will try and get updated out as soon as possible.   
> Please comment on what you would like to see in this story and leave a kudos if you enjoyed :) Thankyou


End file.
